A team of 13 sixth- and seventh-graders designed and built 7” by 7” cube satellites for atmospheric research. Students worked in teams to program the flight computers and sensors to collect the information.

Innovation

Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.

- William Pollard, famous physicist, professor and priest

Helping all students to learn, grow, and achieve at high levels takes creativity and resources. Amazing things are happening for students in Lake Washington schools! The district seeks to recognize, celebrate, support and reward innovation at all schools. This effort is connected to our strategic goal to provide safe and innovative learning environments.

As we strive to accomplish our vision of Every Student Future Ready, we continue to explore innovative strategies and programs to:

Increase student engagement

Increase student achievement

Provide students with additional challenge and rigor

Close achievement and opportunity gaps

Through partnerships with Lake Washington Schools Foundation and other community partnerships, we have established a District Innovation Program and Fund. It makes grant money available to schools to implement innovative ideas. We celebrate and recognize innovative programs in our schools.

LWSD Innovation Programs

Creating Innovators

Sandburg Elementary and Discovery Community School

Providing small group hands-on learning experiences for students to explore the Engineering Design Process and STEM challenges. Learning topics include structure building, coding and modelling.

Elementary Computer Science Leadership Program

Lakeview, Rose Hill and Rush Elementary Schools

Teacher leaders from three Lake Washington Learning Community Elementary Schools will participate in professional learning on computational thinking and computer science and implement a variety of elementary age-appropriate computer science learning experiences with their students. The three participating schools were identified by staff survey.

Einstein PAL (Passionate About Learning) Time

Einstein Elementary School

There will be embedded weekly learning opportunities during the school day for all students to select from a menu of high interest project-based learning topics such as art, coding, maker space, cooking, shark tank/business entrepreneurship and nature.

Urban Gardening

Lake Washington High School

A newly developed course will focus on the basics of plant identification, the benefits of growing and maintaining your own garden, and how urban gardens present sustainable solutions inspired by local community issues. Grant funds will provide startup funds for gardening and green house materials.

Elementary STEM Symposium

Franklin, Lakeview and Rose Hill Elementary Schools

The traditional science fair gets a new look at three Lake Washington Learning Community Elementary Schools. The STEM Symposium includes in-class STEM learning opportunities culminating in a Symposium of STEM learning projects and community presentations. The three participating schools were identified by staff survey.

Video under construction

Comunidad Matematica/Math Community

Redmond Elementary School and Redmond Middle School

This after-school math support program, led by bilingual teacher leaders, will utilize middle school students from diverse background as mentors for third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from diverse backgrounds who have been identified as potentially benefitting from the program. The program will focus on developing a math community, mentoring and closing the math achievement gap for participating students. Snacks and bus transportation home will be provided.

Family Engagement to Support Math Education

Rush Elementary School

To increase family engagement and remove barriers to participation for families, structured and scheduled volunteer opportunities for families of first grade students will focus on creating math games. Transportation and food will be provided. The project culminates in a family math game evening.

Attacking the Gap at Thoreau - A Multi-Faceted Approach

Thoreau Elementary School

Teacher leaders from Thoreau Elementary will participate in a “Pathway to Equity” learning experience focused on strategies for closing the achievement gap through literacy practices and, with building leadership, guide staff through implementation of innovative teaching strategies and cycles of inquiry.

Outdoor Education Classroom

Rockwell Elementary School

An outdoor education classroom will be established alongside the currently existing school garden to enable teachers to facilitate experiential project-based learning across grade levels. Additionally, this learning space provides a venue to connect with local community members to include farmers, produce experts, engineers and natural scientists.

The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, gender, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Complete policy statement